HISPASAT Chooses Thomson Video Networks to Drive Trial of Ultra HD Content Delivery via HEVC

September 6, 2013

Thomson Video Networks announced that HISPASAT has launched a trial demonstration of Ultra HD content delivery using the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) compression capabilities of the ViBE™ VS7000 multi-screen encoding platform. HISPASAT, a leading satellite transmission operator with a strong presence in Europe and South America, is deploying the VS7000 to deliver HEVC-encoded Ultra HD content to air via its HISPASAT 1E satellite platform. At IBC2013, HISPASAT will demonstrate live Ultra HD video streams using the Thomson Video Networks technology.  

"This demonstration plays an important role in our plans to promote the deployment of the most cutting-edge compression and delivery formats - giving our customers the ability to offer their viewers the absolute highest-quality viewing experience," said Ignacio Sanchis, chief commercial officer at HISPASAT. "With the Thomson Video Networks technology, we are hoping to create awareness within our customer base and deliver live Ultra HD streams that can be used in many different ways, such as demonstrating interoperability among manufacturers of TV sets and set-top boxes."

Facilitated by Thomson Video Networks' exclusive MediaFlex video operating system, the ViBE VS7000 is one of the first worldwide implementations of the emerging HEVC compression standard - designed to lower operators' OPEX for delivery of a wide range of convergent TV services including WebTV and OTT, as well as traditional broadcast applications. The ViBE VS7000 video system combines Thomson's renowned next-generation compression platform for outstanding picture quality in an all-IP environment with live, broadcast-quality encoding, innovative video preprocessing, and faster-than-real-time file transcoding.

Thomson Video Networks has been participating in a proof-of-concept trial with HISPASAT that ends this summer to demonstrate how its technologies can form an ecosystem to drive future commercial Ultra HD service offerings based on HEVC compression. The ViBE VS7000 will provide 4K file transcoding in HEVC, and Thomson Video Networks' Sapphire transport stream server will play out the Ultra HD HEVC-encoded content. The open-source GPAC or VLC HEVC-enabled media players will decode the HEVC content for display on TV sets.

This trial demonstration is also one of the first steps in the H2B2VS and UltraHD4U Eureka research projects where partners set up a satellite 4K HEVC transmission, paving the way for HEVC-based broadband and broadcast services.

"By adding our own implementation of the new HEVC compression standard to the ViBE VS7000, Thomson Video Networks is paving the way for HD and Ultra HD content on any kind of device and any kind of network. HISPASAT is providing an important service to the media industry by proving that the technology exists today through the ViBE VS7000, and that it can be harnessed to encode 4K content in HEVC for actual Ultra HD delivery," said Christophe Delahousse, president of Thomson Video Networks.

In addition to this HEVC trial demonstration, Thomson Video Networks and HISPASAT have signed a wider cooperation agreement to promote Ultra HD TV jointly. As part of this agreement, Thomson Video Networks will be a partner to the HISPASAT 4K channel, which will be launched at IBC this year.